A News

The federal government is giving the Sealaska Corporation close to a million dollars to thin second-growth forests on Prince of Wales Island. The Forest Service also plans to thin trees using federal stimulus money. But they’ve got different aims.Related Link: Click here for more information and earlier reports.

Sealaska Corporation says alleged threats made by its board chairman will not derail efforts to get a lands-selection bill through Congress.
Albert Kookesh, also a state senator, was part of a corporate delegation visiting a recent Craig City Council meeting. Sealaska officials pushed local leaders to support its proposed takeover of valuable timberlands on Prince of Wales Island.
Kookesh angered some by suggesting state funding for city projects could be tied to support for the bill.
In an interview with CoastAlaska’s Ed Schoenfeld, Sealaska C-E-O Chris McNeil says the comment was unfortunate. But it wasn’t a threat.
Kookesh has not commented on his statements to Craig’s City Council. That’s because he expects to face legislative ethics charges for his comments.
The lands-selection bill would transfer 65,000 to 85,000 acres of Tongass National Forest to the corporation. In exchange, Sealaska would give up claims to other lands it could select without Congressional action.
The bill has received only one hearing. Opponents say it would remove valuable forest habitat and popular recreation areas from the public land base. Opposition in Craig comes in part because it would keep a local mill from accessing timber it hopes to cut.Related Link: Hear a report on Kookesh’s comments to the Craig City Council.

If you’re not into Christmas, what’s there do to on Christmas Day in Juneau?

A common tradition for Americans who don’t observe Christmas – Jews and secular Chinese especially — is to patronize the two businesses that are invariably open on Dec. 25: Chinese restaurants and movie theaters.

Well, almost invariably.

Twin Lakes Café and all the other Chinese, Japanese and Thai restaurants in Juneau will be closed Christmas day along with most everything else, though the Goldtown Nickelodeon and the Gross-Alaska Theatres will be open. That means musician Brandon Walker would only be able to fulfill half of the chorus of his YouTube hit, “Chinese Food on Christmas.”

Members of Congregation Sukkat Shalom, Southeast’s only synagogue, will volunteer as cooks and servers at the Glory Hole’s Christmas dinner, as they have for many years running, says organizer Bev Ingram.

“That is a tradition for our Jewish community here, yes, yes,” Ingram said.

This year, Ingram expects to serve a sit-down style dinner to about 100 people. The food is donated by local markets. And Chinese food is not on the menu.

Older Sealaska shareholders have until November 20th to sign up for larger dividends. It’s the first time the regional Native corporation is making an extra payment to elders. But it’s not the first corporation to do so.Related Link: Find out more about the program, and those of other corporations.

Sealaska wants the federal government to spend some of its stimulus money thinning trees. The Southeast regional Native corporation has asked for close to a million dollars to expand its own forest-management program. Officials say the money could keep 40 rural residents on the job.Related Link: Find out more about Sealaska’s timber operations. Click here, then on more.

Sealaska board members could face term limits under a measure before shareholders. If it passes, the regional corporation for Southeast Natives would see a major change in its elected leaders. Shareholders are also considering giving elders more stockRelated Link: Click here, then on “more,” for links to Sealaska documents.